The Love Triangle(57)

The next day was no better. She had to get up early and do some real shopping. Neither one of them had any clothes. Getting back from the store, she waited until Leandra was asleep for her nap and Dahlia took a quick shower. Her jeans lay crumpled on the floor. Toweling her hair off, she turned her head to see the small slip of paper that she had picked up the day before.



Opening it up, she saw a number scrawled on the paper, with lip prints in dark red lipstick. She tried to remember where she had seen such a dark color before. Picking up the phone, she called someone that used to find out information for her on potential clients and gave him the number. Dahlia needed to be prepared. Just like any other meeting she had ever been involved in.



Making her mind up, she called Caroline and asked if she could watch her daughter. She agreed and didn’t ask many questions when she came by. “Are you going to work things out with Charles? He called me last night upset.”



“I'm going to confront his mistress. It shouldn’t take me long.”



She didn’t wait for an answer or to see the look on her face. She knew that she should have held her tongue, but since he had already called, she figured Caroline knew why it was the way it was. Dahlia walked back to her car and got a message from her guy. He sent her a bio of the woman and as soon as she saw who it was, her plans changed for the day.



Dahlia turned towards her husband’s work. She was going to get this all sorted out one way or another.

***

It was Stacy who saw her first as she moved into the building. There were several people looking at her to say hello, but there was no smile on her face. Stacy looked nervously away, like she didn’t know why Dahlia was there. “Come here, bitch. It's time for a meeting with the boss.”



Stacy looked uncertain, as did Charles that had come out with the commotion. He heard Dahlia’s voice and he was filled with hope. Until he saw her face and realized that she was not there to make peace. He was still clueless on what had happened and how in the world the panties had gotten into his belongings. Charles was not clued in on the fact that there was also a number written on a piece of paper stuffed in his pocket. It couldn’t all be coincidence. “Dahlia…”



“Shut up and get in the damn office.”



He paused, Stacy coming up as if she was going in as well. “This is private, Stacy.”



“Fine, but your wife told me to come in here so we could have a meeting. So here I am.”



It was getting stranger by the minute. Dahlia had a hunch of what was going on, but she needed to see the two of them together to know for sure. She closed the door behind her, her confidence up. It was just like when she ran the meetings, this was her show.



“So you two used to fuck, correct?”



“Dahlia…”



“Answer the question, Stacy. You used to fuck my husband before he was mine, correct?”



Stacy nodded her head. She did not know where this was going, but by the dark look in her eyes, it was becoming clear that what she had done had not really been thought through very well.



“Are you still fucking my husband, bitch?”



Stacy’s looked to the side. She thought of saying something, but the look stopped her. “No, Dahlia, I have never cheated on you,” Charles put in.



Her eyes didn’t leave Stacy, waiting for the answer. “No. Not since you guys got married.”



“So why did you put your panties in his briefcase and your number in his pocket. You still want him or something?”



Stacy’s eyes were wide. How did she know? She did want Charles back, but she did not dare say anything in front of her to that affect. It was clear that Dahlia was not thinking clearly. “Right, you’re fired. Get out of here. I will give you five minutes before I stomp you. Is that clear?”



She blanched and shook her head. No one had ever talked to her in such a way before and she didn’t know how to handle it. Stacy looked to Charles, but there was no sympathy there. Only shock and outrage for what she had done. Stacy wanted to tell him she only did it because she didn’t want to lose him, but he did not seem to care either way. Looking back at Dahlia once, she jerked up a couple of things from her desk as she walked past. Everyone was silent after they heard what had gone on in the meeting.

***

“I know not to ever cheat on you. You don’t play girl.”



“Yes well, you better not. It was till death do us part. Remember that.”



He chuckled, though he wasn’t quite sure how much she was joking around. “Never.” He moved into kiss her and for a moment, he thought she might not kiss him back. She did though.



“I'm sorry I thought that of you, but it just seemed like there was no other option.”



“How did you find out she did all that stuff?”



“Women’s intuition. I should have seen it when I met her. She always had this look on her face that I should have seen as jealousy.” It had occurred to her, Dahlia even felt bad about it, but that was before she realized her plan. “How were you ever with a woman like that?”



“I don’t know, love. I guess I had just been waiting for you. Tell me you will be home when I get there?”



Dahlia pulled back and nodded her head. His blue eyes sparkled and she was lost in their depths.



“Promise.”



The End





Dating A Doctor


By Violet Jackson





Chapter One - Ciara





Ciara counted the money on the counter again. Somehow she imagined it would come out to more, and she would be ahead. She sat back in her chair and glanced around the apartment where lived with her father and her son Antoine. They all had each other, and she was grateful for that. She was the one in charge, running the show so to speak. It was up to her to make it happen the way it needed to and she did her best, but sometimes fell a bit short. Her mother had always told her she was bound for greatness. She missed her so often on days when things were falling apart. She could close her eyes and even still hear her mother’s sweet voice humming to her.



Music was a part of who she was, it was in her blood. She loved to sing and it filled her life with joy. She had always had the dream of doing it professionally, at least in the beginning. Now she just wanted to hustle to survive. She walked down the hall towards Antoine’s bedroom. He had long since gone to bed. At 6, he was a good boy, sweet and charming. He also was growing faster every day and she was having a hard time keeping up with everything he needed. She had done her best to love him enough for two parents. His father wasn’t around and she was fine with that, after all she was a strong independent woman. They were doing their best to keep his father from finding them.



He had threatened them the last time she had seen him and she knew he meant it. His name was Frank and his threats, along with the economy in Detroit, had propelled them into a move to a cute town a few hours away. The apartment certainly left something to be desired. It was cramped and tight, but they were there together, happy and had love for each other. She shut her son's door and made her way back down the hall to the kitchen. She pulled out a glass and poured some water. Even that simple gesture worried her. Bills, including the water bill, were piling up and the money she made as a waitress wasn’t cutting it anymore. Her father’s health was another growing concern. He needed his medication, but he was always telling her to put it off. His insurance from his days at the mill wouldn’t cut it anymore and she was responsible for the difference.



She sat at the table, lost in thought for another long moment before she picked herself up and headed to bed. They had made it through another day, they would be alright. She caught her reflection in the mirror. She was average curvy woman she thought. Her hair was curly, but not frizzy, she was tall and her skin was a high yellow, almost as if it had been kissed by the sun. She was no Halle Berry, but she was ok with her looks. She wondered if it even mattered. She was only 28, but she was feeling anxious about ever meeting anyone, let alone "the one". She knew she was a romantic and she wanted to find some happiness, a person she could lean on. After Frank, she had been scared, terrified really, but now, now she wanted more out of her life. She had hope and that's all that mattered. She fell asleep dreaming about warm arms wrapped around her.



The next day came and with it, the normal hustle and bustle of the day.



“Antoine, let’s move or we are going to be late…again.” She swatted at him as he flew by her, grabbing his backpack.



“Ooohh kayyy, Momma.” He gave her a grin, missing one of his front teeth.



She couldn’t help but smile at him. He was always in good spirits and the best thing she would ever do in her life. She made her way down the main thoroughfare and walked Antoine to his school. He was just getting to an age where she was an embarrassment to him, so she left him at the door, allowing him to walk in on his own. She took a step back and waited until the bell rang before she walked back to the apartment to get ready for her day. She was going to take her father to the clinic in town. Hopefully they would be able to give her some direction, some options for his care. To say it was a struggle was an understatement. She needed the help and although it was hard to ask for it, she couldn’t handle it on her own. She climbed the steps and made her way inside where her father was eating his breakfast leisurely.